It’s easy to tell when fruit and vegetables are in season. With the right knowledge, buying these produce at off-peak times will save you money while ensuring they’re much healthier for your body too!
Have ever had an orange during summer? Now compare that that to an orange consumed in winter – it tastes 10x better on average (and contains twice as many nutrients) than its summer counterpart.
The best way to cut down on food expenses is by eating what’s in season. There are many benefits of this, like how it saves you money and tastes better too!
Money Saver:
Buying in season is a great way to save money on produce, especially when markets start popping up. This can be true for late spring or summer time and farmers know that their product isn’t going anywhere so they might be willing to sell it at lower prices during off peak times versus if there were more demand. For example with oranges you’ll usually pay high prices but buying winter lets me buy pounds of them for about $5 each!
Buying in season saves you money because the abundance of the crop makes it less expensive. This is especially true when farmers’ markets start popping up in late spring / summer. When there is more of the product available, the cost will be lower, because farmers can afford to lower their prices.
For example, buying oranges in summer is incredibly expensive, but in winter you can buy pounds of oranges for under $5. The best time to buy pomegranates is during winter, which will be much more affordable than summer.
Variety:
As the weather changes, I enjoy tasting new fruits. April’s arrival brings me a sense of excitement for what will come next in terms of fresh produce – like citrus and mangos that can be found year-round while other options may only be available during certain times such as figs or pears from summertime up until fall comes around once again!
Better Taste and Nutrition:
A lot of the food that is picked for consumption elsewhere is usually harvested at the wrong time. What I mean by that, is that it is picked before it is truly ripe, which means a poor vitamin/mineral count and makes it harder to digest (enzymes not as bio-available as fruit that is truly ripe). Fruit is meant to be picked at its peak ripe stage, because after it is picked, it doesn’t ripen properly and is no longer connected to source (the tree from which it was picked).
The fruit you buy at your local grocery store is usually picked when it’s not really ripe. That means the vitamin and mineral content will be low, making them harder for our bodies to fully digest (enzyme levels aren’t as bioavailable).
Sometimes, the best way to get fresh food is by growing it yourself. Growing your own vegetables and fruit has many benefits including lower costs for ingredients as well as eliminating any risk of illness from cross-contamination that could happen in transport between farms or markets.
A guide to saving money by knowing what fruit and veggies are in season, when they’re at their best – this is a must read!